Looking at the eastern conference standing as of 9 Dec 2006: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/standings The Altlantic Divsion leader, New Jersey Nets, is having worst records than all five teams in Central Division and four teams in the SouthEast division. If playoffs started today, will the Nets get the 3rd Seed as the Atlantic Division leader? Or are they eliminated from the playoffs as there are 9 teams having better records than them?? Can someone help me to clarify this? Thank you!
The three first place teams from the three divisions in each conference, in addition to the second place team with the best record, are seeded 1-4 based on record. So, as a division leader, not only is NJ guaranteed a playoff spot, but a top 4 spot as well. And since they will definitely have the worst record (at this pace) out of the four, they will be #4. That's where they'd be if the playoffs started today.
Yahoo! is still listing the seedings according to last year's rules. ESPN is now getting it right - http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/standings?season=2007&group=conference&seasontype=2
If this the case then it is simply not fair for teams(not one but two) who are having better records. I think in this case, nba better come up the plan for the top eight teams from each conference to make the playoffs then this stupid division leader case!
The division champ thing is just nonsense unless they change the scheduling that reflects significantly more match-ups among division teams. As of now, the fairest way is to seed the whole conference based on records.
It was one thing when teams were getting higher seeds because of this division nonsense, but now they're possibly getting into the playoffs with the eleventh best record in their conference? Something has to be done.
I agree with Easy. The way it is now, everyone in the conference plays pretty much the same schedule (each team faces I think 4 or 6 conference opponents only 3 times, but that is not a huge difference). In MLB and especially in the NFL, divisions have a lot of meaning, in the NBA only this stupid rule gives them meaning, otherwise it is like there are no divisions at all.
4 times versus own conference teams (2 roads + 2 homes) 2 times versus opposite conference teams (1 road + 1 home)
Against 14 other teams in same conference: 14X4=56 Against 15 teams in other conference: 15X2=30 56+30=86 games played. Meaning that 4 teams in your conference, you will have to play only three times each year to balance out the schedule.
The imbalance is due to the West kicking the East in the nuts repeatedly - as more divisional games are played they'll have a much better record vis a vis the rest of the East.
this still sucks because even if rockets are top 3 team in the west and the other two are spurs and mavs, we'd get the 5th seed instead of 3rd. Which means we'd have to play the 4th seed. Hopefully the 4th seed sucks more than the 6th seed.
